Dred Scott v. Sandford

University of Pittsburgh, School of Law; Albany Law School - Government Law Center

Date Written: 2006

Abstract

In this article, Professor Finkelman takes the reader through the infamous Dred Scott decision from beginning to end; he clarifies some of the often misconstrued background history and discusses some of the lasting effects of the Supreme Court decision. In challenging his owner in Federal court, Dred Scott brought the legal rights of slaves into question. While the Court decided against Scott, it became an influential stop on the road to war, and ultimately the 14th Amendment.